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OSAGE

FOODS

OSAGE FOODS

1Photo courtesy Osage News

Osage Culture Traveling Trunk Project

OSAGE FOODSBefore Europeans came to the Americas, Osages obtained food byhunting, gathering, and farming.

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Osages hunted wild game suchas bison, elk and deer. Therewere two bison hunts a year,one in the summer and one inthe fall. The goal of thesummer hunt was to obtainmeat and fat. The purpose ofthe fall hunt was to obtain food,but also to get the thick wintercoats of the bison for makingrobes, moccasins, leggings,breechcloths, and dresses.

Photo courtesy Missouri State Parks

Latin Name: Bison bison

Osages gathered wild foods such as paw paws, acorns, walnuts,prickly pear cactus, onions, berries, prairie turnips, persimmons,and yonkapins. Many of these foods were gathered in largeamounts. Some gathered food was cooked and eaten immediately,and some was dried and stored for winter use.

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Latin Name: Vitis cinerea

Photo courtesy J. Richard Abbott

Wild Grape

Wild Lotus Root or Yonkapin

Photo courtesy Steve Turner

Latin Name: Nelumbo lutea

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The wild lotus root oryonkapin grows inshallow ponds andalong the edges ofstreams. The root issweet and deliciouswhen raw or cooked.

Wild Strawberry

Latin Name: Fragaria virginiana

Photo courtesy Steve Turner

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The wild strawberry isedible and tasty. Itgrows low to the groundin open fields, woods,and even backyards.Wild strawberries aresmaller than the farmedstrawberries found ingrocery stores.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Latin Name: Opuntia humifusa

Photo courtesy Jay Barber

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Both the fruit andpads of the PricklyPear Cactus areedible. The fruit andpads can be eatenraw or cooked. Thepads are best whenyoung and tender.Today, many peoplemake the sweet fruitinto jelly.

Persimmon

Latin Name: Diospyros virginianaPhoto courtesy Steve Turner

Photo courtesy George Van Brunt.

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The persimmon is asweet fruit that growson trees. When ripe, thefruit is orange in color,as shown below. Theentire fruit is edible andcan be eaten fresh,dried, raw or cooked.

Latin Name: Asimina triloba

Photo courtesy George Van Brunt

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Paw Paw

The paw paw is asweet, juicy fruit thatgrows on trees. Theentire fruit is edible.It is delicious raw,cooked, and dried.

Wild Onion

Latin Name: Allium canadense

Photo courtesy George Van Brunt.Photo courtesy Richard Abbott

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The wild onion is astrong flavored bulb. Itis smaller than thefarmed onions you seein stores. People eat allparts - the undergroundbulbs, the long, thinleaves, and theblossoms. Wild onionscan be eaten raw,cooked, or dried.

The Osage people grew crops including corn, beans, squash, andgourds. In the spring, men cleared fields and women planted crops. Inthe fall, these plant foods were harvested. Some of the crop was eatenat harvest time, but most of the crop was dried, because dried foodspreserve for a long time. The Osages stored the dried foods and thenate them during the winter when fresh plant foods were not available.

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Corn (Maize) Latin Name: Zea mays

Photo courtesy Liz Sobel

Beans

Latin Name: Phaseolus vulgaris

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The common beangrows on a vine. Boththe pod and seeds areedible. The Osagesharvested and driedbeans in the fall. Theycooked and ate thedried beans duringthe winter.

Photo courtesy Liz Sobel

Gourd

Latin Name: Cucurbita foetidissima

Photo courtesy J. Richard Abbott

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The gourd is a vegetablethat grows on a large vine.The edible seeds are tastywhen roasted, boiled, orground into meal.

The Osages used driedgourds to make rattlesused in ceremonies.

Photo courtesy Brooklyn MuseumJ. Richard Abbott

Today, Osages still enjoy foods such as

bison meat, corn, persimmons, and

yonkapins. They also enjoy prepared

dishes that combine traditional Osage

ingredients combined with ingredients

introduced by Europeans over the last

300 years. These dishes include fry bread,

grape dumplings, meat pies, and meat

gravy. These foods are served at special

occasions such as funeral feasts,

birthdays, In-Lon-Schka dances and other

celebrations.

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Cooking fry bread

Photo courtesy Osage News

Photo courtesy Osage Nation


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Preparing a feast for a community celebration in the town of Grayhorse, on the Osage Reservation

Photo courtesy Osage Nation


Squash

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Meat Gravy


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Corn Soup


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Grape Dumplings


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Dish with Yonkapin


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Table set with traditional Osage foods

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